Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ar dtús báire, ar mo shon féin agus ar son Pháirtí Fhianna Fáil, déanaim comhghairdeas leat as ucht a bheith tofa mar Cheann Comhairle na Dála seo. Léiríonn an móramh mór a fuair tú an t-ardmheas atá ag Teachtaí ó gach aon ghrúpa sa Dáil ort. Sa Dáil seo caite, thug tú sárcheannaireacht den scoth dúinn. Stiúir tú an Dáil agus na díospóireachtaí éagsúla go macánta agus go féaráilte. Bíonn tú réasúnta i gcónaí agus déanann tú iarracht cothrom na Féinne a thabhairt do gach éinne.

On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party and on my own behalf, I congratulate you, a Cheann Comhairle, on your re-election to an office which is one of the most important in our democracy. I also extend those congratulations to your wife, Mary Clare, to your children, Aoife, Caoimhe, Eoghan and Nessa, and your wonderful mother-in-law, Beth Meaney, for their support. We all know how families have to endure and share the burden of our political lives and they have stood loyally with you down through the years. This is the second time the position of Ceann Comhairle has been filled following a direct competition involving a secret ballot. I commiserate with Deputy Naughten, a person for whom we have all great respect in this House, a fine parliamentarian who makes a significant contribution on an ongoing basis to public life. When we supported this reform some years ago, we did it because we thought it was important that the Dáil should have a stronger role in regulating its own affairs, which should start with increasing the status of the Ceann Comhairle. We believe that this change has been successful and that the success has in large measure been due to how you have filled that role, a Cheann Comhairle. We have no doubt that in what is likely to be a challenging Dáil, you will fill the role with fairness, balance and integrity.

This is the most diverse Dáil in the 101 years of this institution. Each party and each Independent Deputy brings with them a distinct mandate. It is the very essence of democracy that this diversity be respected. I hope that we will not see in this House the populist intolerance and aggression which seeks to shout down dissenting opinions and instruct others on what they are and are not allowed to do with their mandates. There is a lot of work which this Dáil needs to do. We must complete the job of becoming more effective, not just in holding Government to account but in applying serious standards of review to all elements of our work. We must take action which is not just a long wish-list but a focused, urgent and credible agenda for delivering. We hope that under your direction in the coming term, we will go to the next stage in terms of the independent financial and legal review of all matters which come before us, building on the excellent work of the last Dáil during which the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers was strengthened and the Parliamentary Budget Office was established. Outside of Leinster House, the role of Ceann Comhairle is often seen as resembling a referee presiding over disputes on the evening news. However, the office goes well beyond this and we look to you to be our leader in pushing us to do our work on behalf of all of the people in a professional, respectful and effective manner. We salute the leadership you have shown today in reaching out to the Northern Assembly and indeed the British Parliament in nurturing and strengthening the different sets of relationships that are so critical to the future of this island. You have our full support in that regard. We have no doubt that you will be just such a leader for this Dáil.

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